Salads have always been an integral part of a meal but strangely enough, this often receives the least amount of attention. More often even, it is the salad dressing that is hardly given enough though. Most people would settle for mediocre, commercially made dressings in order to “simplify” things, or are only familiar with bland, flat tasting blends that carry too much or too little of something. The reality of it all is that it is possible to create great tasting dressings packed with flavor right inside your home. You can achieve this gourmet delight in less than five minutes with ingredients that you most probably already have stored in your cupboard.

One of the most famous salad dressings is the classic, ever famous French vinaigrette. This dressing plays around acidic, sweet, and hot flavors, so the trick is to find the balance in these three elements. In making your vinaigrette, remember that the fresher, higher quality ingredients always produce better results.

Putting together a great salad isn’t an impossibility – in fact, it is one of the most simple things to put together. When creating the dressing for a basic green salad for four, you will need the following ingredients: about one and a half teaspoons mustard, two to three tablespoons oil, about 1 tablespoon vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend the ingredients except the oil with a small whisk until smooth and the ingredients are fully mixed together. Slowly drizzle in the oil while continuously whisking, and adjust the taste to your preference as you go along. Enjoy your salad dressed in vinaigrette and even share it with your family and friends.

The possibilities are endless when making vinaigrette and you can come up with many variations. Fresh herbs in season make for more flavorful dressings, although dried herbs great as well. A blend of imported herbs called Herbes de Provence is a lovely harmony of flavor. Herbs that are readily available on the market such as tarragon, thyme, rosemary, cilantro, mint, dill, and parsley make for great additions to your vinaigrette. Almost anything can be added to your vinaigrette recipe to make it more exciting. Even grated ginger, or crushed garlic are welcome additions to your mixture.

Go even bolder with your flavors and bring your vinaigrette up a notch. Take your dressing a step further by using herbed olive oil, or use balsamic vinegar instead of regular vinegar for a sweeter touch. Balsamic vinegar that can be found in the supermarket carries a good flavor but nothing compares to authentic balsamic vinegar 0 which can cost you over a hundred dollars for just a small bottle. If you are in the mood for a softer tasting, less acidic vinaigrette, you can try substituting rice vinegar or cider vinegar. Remember, just don’t be afraid to experiment and explore and turn your dressing into something more than the usual. The treat in enjoying vinaigrette is that it can bring you a whole new world of flavor in every blend, so go ahead and explore!
vinaigrette, oil and vinegar dressing, balsamic vinaigrette

Technorati Tags: vinaigrette, oil and vinegar dressing, balsamic vinaigrette

Ingredients
2 tsp wine vinegar, white or red
6 tbsp light olive oil
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 whole garlic clove, peeled
Just a pinch of sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To prepare:

1. In a screw-top jar with a secure lid, combine all ingredients and mix by shaking well.
Leave to infuse
2. Don’t leave the garlic in for more than a few hours, or you’ll get a bitter taste instead of the desired light garlic scent.

You may also like to try these variations:

Instead of Dijon, use wholegrain mustard
Instead of garlic, try shallot, peeled and halved. Remember to remove after several hours.
Try a pinch of dried herbs. If you’d like to use fresh herbs, be sure and add them just before serving; they’ll discolor and become limp if left sitting too long in the dressing.
Chopped capers and/or anchovies heighten the Mediterranean flavor when added to the vinaigrette.
For a delicious blend-in, try a ripe avocado, calorie-rich but full of healthy oils.
Create a creamy version with the addition of 1 tbsp of light mayonnaise, low fat crème fraiche or low-fat Greek yogurt. You can also pour these dressings over blanched vegetables like broccoli and fine greens, or shrimp salad.

Prep time: 5 minutes
oil and vinegar dressing

Technorati Tags: oil and vinegar dressing

Italian appetizers such as antipasti, offer ideal opportunities to incorporate balsamico vinegar. Fresh vegetables, served raw or cooked, are dipped in a shallow bowl of fine aceto balsamico with a little coarse sea salt added for seasoning. Extra-virgin olive oil, with the addition of herbs and spices often accompany balsamic vinegar as dipping sauces.

Another aspect of balsamic vinegar is found in a marinade. Vegetables can be marinated a short time in balsamic vinegar and then grilled. Eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, and bell peppers can be flavored by a balsamico marinade or sauce. A vegetable buffet, a hot soup, or a crisp green garden salad can all be flavored with a drizzle of the thick tantalizing balsamic vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is a healthy, complex accoutrement that adds flavor to every dish it is drizzled over. Italian balsamico, balsamic vinegar, balsamic condiment

Technorati Tags: Italian balsamico, balsamic vinegar, balsamic condiment

It makes sense to keep an assortment of vinegars in every pantry or kitchen and below are a few that will always come in handy and enhance your recipes:

From the Far East a popular type of vinegar is made from rice wine. This type of vinegar can be used for so many savoury meals because of its mild sweet flavor. Rice wine vinegar can be used to create delicious salad dressings, tantalising sauces or even pickles.

A well used vinegar in the United States is Apple cider vinegar and if you need to enhance a dish with the flavor of apples it is the perfect choice.

Italy produces balsamic vinegar which differs from other vinegars because of its sweet, rich, mellow taste. Balsamic vinegar improves with age and can be quite expensive. However, it is not always necessary to buy a vintage variety as some of the younger balsamic vinegars have a unique sweet flavor. But if you are wishing to use an expensive bottle of balsamic remember to use it wisely. It has been said that some would place its value above their other possessions.

If you frequent Italian restaurants you might have sampled an unusual dessert that is made from pieces of aged Parmigano reggiano cheese and a little vintage balsamic vinegar. It tastes delicious even though a little bizarre. The best balsamic vinegar comes from Italy and is processed in Modena and Reggio, though there are many other excellent balsamic vinegars available everywhere.

A traditional British dish of fish and chips is always seasoned with Malt vinegar but is rarely used for anything else. The most readily available vinegar of all is white distilled vinegar and is generally used for cleaning purposes and rarely used for anything culinary.

The benefits of vinegar are not just to enhance the flavor of fish, meat and poultry, not to mention pickling and salad dressings. Vinegar is well known to be beneficial to health and particularly for those wishing to shed weight, and can also be used to provide relief to inflamed muscles. Amongst its many varied uses vinegar is an excellent cleanser and can help remove cosmetic stains such as lipstick.

pantry vinegars, various vinegars

Technorati Tags: pantry vinegars, various vinegars

greek salad

Technorati Tags: greek salad

Ingredients:

¼ cup lemon juice, freshly sweet
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 whole bay leaf
1 ½ teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
½ tsp salt
4 large chicken breasts, skin and bones removed

Procedure:
In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except for the last one. Use a large zip-close bag to marinade the chicken breasts. Place the chicken breasts in the plastic bag and pour the mixture from the bowl. Close the bag tightly and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Gently shake the bag from time to time. After giving it sufficient time to marinate, preheat the boiler and set it to high.

Discard marinade. Take the chicken breasts and place them on a baking sheet or broiler pan after you have lined them with foil. Broil for eight minutes then flip the chicken breasts and broil for another seven minutes.

This recipe serves 4.

rosemary chicken 

Technorati Tags: rosemary chicken

The French have named it “la sauce vinaigrette”, however, and when done properly, it can turn an ordinary salad into an extraordinary dish. Vinaigrettes are not reserved only for salads, and can be used to good effect in a multitude of dishes such as grilled fish, roasted chicken, pan-seared steak, or wilted greens.

Vinaigrettes are extraordinarily simple to make, and all you really need to know is the 3:1 ratio. This denotes the ratio of amounts of oil to vinegar. Because vinaigrettes are made from so few ingredients, however, the quality of each ingredient is very important, as it contributes much of the flavor of the sauce. You should only use the best olive oil and vinegar that you can buy. Good sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper are important too.

The only things that you will need besides your ingredients are a whisk and a bowl. First place the salt and pepper in the bowl together with the vinegar, then whisk them thoroughly. This allows the salt to dissolve in the vinegar, as it does not do so in oil. Once this is done, you can whisk in the oil, and your basic sauce vinaigrette is complete.

A typical vinaigrette is made using red wine vinegar and olive oil. By combining that with a few key ingredients, the number of variations of vinaigrette that you can make is almost endless. Here are some standard variations that you may consider:

Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette: Substitute white wine vinegar for red wine vinegar, then whisk a tablespoon of honey and stone-ground or Dijon mustard into it. Finally, add your olive oil. This vinaigrette complements grilled steak or salmon beautifully.

Cilantro-Basil Vinaigrette: Use balsamic vinegar in the place of red wine vinegar, then add a few tablespoons of minced fresh basil and cilantro. Finally, add the olive oil to the mix to complete the vinaigrette.

Citrus Vinaigrette: In the place of vinegar use citrus juice, such as lemon juice or lime juice. Taste as you add the citrus juice, and you may wish to add more oil to balance out the tart taste. This vinaigrette tastes excellent with avocado salad or grilled fish.

Warm Cider Vinaigrette: Fill ½ a cup with cider vinegar, chopped shallots, salt and pepper and leave to simmer until it is reduced to 1/3 cup. Stop heating it and stir 2/3 cup of olive oil in. Tastes best served over slightly bitter greens, bacon strips and warm goat cheese.

Sherry-Walnut Vinaigrette: Substitute sherry vinegar for red wine vinegar, and mix with walnut oil instead of olive oil.

Champagne-Hazelnut Vinaigrette: Combine champagne vinegar with hazelnut oil and whisk together. Use over a salad of baby spinach, sliced strawberries, and some crushed, toasted hazelnuts.

Jalapeño-Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette: In the place of red wine vinegar, use equal parts white wine vinegar and lime juice. Place this in a food processor along with salt, pepper, half a seeded jalapeño, and two tablespoons of fresh cilantro. Blend until even, then drizzle in olive oil while motor is still running.

Anchovy Vinaigrette: Blend two or three anchovy fillets in a blender with red wine vinegar and two teaspoons of Dijon mustard. While the motor is still running, slowly pour in the olive oil, then serve the resulting sauce over steamed asparagus, romaine salad, or poached leeks.

Parsley Vinaigrette for Roasted Meat or Poultry: Roast or pan-sear meat or poultry, then blend 3 tablespoonfuls of the hot juiced left in the pan together with red wine vinegar, pepper, salt, and 2 tablespoonfuls of fresh parsley. Keeping the motor running, slowly pour in 2 tablespoonfuls of olive oil.

Garlic Vinaigrette: Using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a kitchen knife, mash a large clove of garlic with salt. Then, add vinegar and pepper to the mixture before whisking it with the olive oil. Alternatively, you could use one tablespoon of roasted garlic in the place of the mashed garlic. Tastes fantastic with grilled steak or lamb chops.

Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette: Stir 1 tablespoonful of fresh minced ginger into rice wine vinegar, then whisk in toasted sesame oil and canola oil mixed in the proportions of one part sesame oil to three parts canola oil.

vinaigrette simple

Technorati Tags: vinaigrette simple

Time to prepare: Five minutes

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, extra-virgin
2 Cloves of peeled Garlic
1 ½ Tablespoons of Walnuts or Pine Nuts
1 Cup of Basil Leaves, fresh
3 Tablespoons of White Wine Vinegar

Preparation:

1. Place the garlic cloves and nuts in a good processor and blend them until they are finely chopped.

2. With the processor still running, add the basil leaves then turn off the processor and scrape the ingredients from the walls of the container.

3. Turn the processor on again and add the vinegar and oil slowly through the feed tube. Mix the resulting dressing well and pour over green salads, tomato salads, or use over broiled, grilled, poached, or sautéed fish or poultry. Three-fourths cup serves: 4 to 6 servings as sauce; 6 to 8 servings over salad.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

Time to Prepare: 5 Minutes

Ingredients:

¼ Cup of Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of Raspberries, fresh
¼ Cup of Raspberry Vinegar
Salt
Black Pepper, freshly ground

Preparation:

1. Mash the raspberries. Add the vinegar to the raspberries and mix well before beating in the olive oil.

2. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve drizzled over salad or as sauce for sautéed chicken breasts or grilled quail.

Half cup serves: 4 servings over salad; 2 to 4 servings as a sauce

Lemon-Olive Vinaigrette

Time to Prepare: 10 Minutes

Ingredients:

¼ Cup of Olive Oil
Juice from 2 Lemons
1 Tablespoon of Olivada (black olive paste; found in fancy food stores)
Black Pepper, freshly ground
1 Tablespoon of Italian Parsley leaves, finely minced

1. Place the lemon juice and olivada in a bowl and mix well. Then beat in the olive oil.

2. Add salt and pepper to taste, then garnish with parsley. Works well as a sauce for fish or cooked dried beans.

Asian Vinaigrette

Time to Prepare: 5 Minutes

Ingredients:

¼ Cup of Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
½ Teaspoon of Sugar
½ Cup of Sesame Oil, Chinese
A pinch of Red Pepper Flakes

1. Mix the vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in a bowl. Then beat in the olive oil.

2. Season it with red pepper flakes until it is to your liking. The resulting dressing is best used over steamed vegetables.

¾ cup serves: 6 to 8 servings over salad.

vinaigrette recipes 

Technorati Tags: vinaigrette recipes

balsamic salmon recipe

Technorati Tags: balsamic salmon recipe

Ingredients:

3 tbs Balsamic vinegar, aged variety
1 tsp French mustard (Dijon)
1 clove of crushed garlic
Extra virgin olive oil – ¾ cup
To taste – salt and pepper

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in a blender to create an emulsion. The vinaigrette will be denser than made by hand. For up to 8 servings, one cup will be adequate. For one serving up to 3 tablespoons of dressing is required. When you have processed your dressing you can either serve immediately or store in an airtight container in a refrigerator. If using after the dressing has been refrigerated you will need to quickly blitz prior to serving.

Vinegar Brine, Apples and Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 tbs sugar
5 tsps Kosher salt 
3 cps Cold water
5 Freshly ground whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
Four 8 oz pork loin chops including the bone
4 tsps Extra virgin olive oil
2 Peeled, cored and sliced apples, Pink Lad or Braeburn. Ensure slices ¼” thick.
2 cups of apple cider vinegar

Method:

Simmer the apple cider vinegar in a non reactive pan for 8 minutes or until reduced by 50%. Add the salt and sugar when the pan containing the vinegar has been removed from the heat and stir until the salt and sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add ground peppercorns, water and the bay leaf. When this mixture has cooled, pour over the pork chops which should be placed in a baking tray. The chops and mixture should now be covered and allowed to marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Before cooking your chops preheat your broiler, take the chops out of the brine mixture and ensure they are drying by patting with a paper towel.

Place the chops on a baking sheet lined with kitchen foil and cook for about 6 minutes on each side. When cooking is complete, remove them from the oven and allow to stand for a few minutes. Loosely cover with kitchen foil to create a tent.

While your pork chops are resting, heat 2 tablespoons in a saucepan and add the apples. Sauté for about seven minutes or until they are softened and tender. Season with salt and pepper. The pork chops are served with apples and a little of the remaining olive oil. Your Pork chops can be accompanied by potatoes or pasta.

vinagrette dressing

Technorati Tags: vinagrette dressing